We're a husband and wife design team located in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. We draw inspiration from nature around us, Colonial Craftsmanship, and Danish Modern/MCM influences to create a colorful fusion we call Virginia Modern.

Monday, January 9, 2012

MID CENTURY MODERN

Muse of the week: Mid Century Modern

When we ended last weeks modern muse with a post on mid century modern, I mentioned that mcm really deserved it own week....there's just so much. So, here it is...welcome to new muse Monday and our week of mid century modern.

After WWII ended, and manufacturing was once again consumer driven, there was a renewed optimism in America and a desire for all things new....new products, new materials, new manufacturing techniques, new design, which naturally brought about a great surge in innovation. The mid century designer (industrial designers, architects, furniture designers) enjoyed a kind of rock star status which hasn't been seen since. People were actually appreciating great design!

The Scandinavians (we'll talk about Danish Modern later in the week) invented a new method of attaching foam padding to a structure. Using this innovation, Arne Jacobsen designed the iconic swan chair....is there anything prettier? I've seen it in a gazillion colors, and this purple is quite dreamy.

Charles and Ray Eames, above, were famously innovative. Like so many of the day, they were particularly interested in new and affordable materials, and came up with a method of molding plywood which resulted in the chair below.

Let's talk about the youth culture of the mid century. Designers and manufacturers were marketing to teens for the first time, resulting in comfortable "slouchy" chairs, plastic furniture, teen centric fashion (paper dresses), and lots of brightly colored products. The American teenager influenced all areas of design.

The rod-and-ball atomic style was everywhere in the mid century. This space-age design was quirky, happy, youthful....Braxton and I love it!

An atomic style clock. Designed by George Nelson.

Let's talk about the gorgeous case study houses which were built in California in the mid century. These unique homes were designed to examine new ways of living and were created by the most influential designers and architects of the day. Case study houses had open floor plans, grass walks, glass walls and were made with lightweight materials. Did I mention they were gorgeous?

Naturally, we need to talk about how to incorporate mid century modern design into contemporary decor. I'll be showing you pictures of our latest mid century find! Can't wait.

Please join is this week for mid century modern muse....there is so much to talk about.